Just So Very Confused...

I am very new to this whole thing. I actually haven't even gotten my biopsy results back yet, but when my doctor did blood work they found celiac, so I went in for a biopsy on Tuesday, they said they just need to get confirmation so I am pretty sure that is what I have since I have all of the symptoms.

Anyway, I would like to start the diet now but I keep finding more and more things that I never thought would have gluten and they do! How am I supposed to know, the only list on this website is mostly ingredients and things I've never heard of. Am I supposed to check every ingredient on everything against that list, that would take forever! What is the easiest way, what do you guys do? If I just stick to meat, cheese, fruit and veggies am I OK?

Thanks for listening to my rambling and thanks for any help you can give me, I am just so very confused about this whole diet--it's frustrating!

I always say it this way ~ you can eat anything that is in the form God made it ~ except for wheat, barley, oats, etc. ~ IF you follow that rule, you will be okay. Eat a good steak! Have a baked potato with real butter!! Just don't eat anything processed or "fixed" in any way. AND be careful of cross contamination ~ i.e. toaster, cutting board, utensils. Go buy your own. I bought a bread machine & make the sandwich bread mix from http://www.glutenfreepantry.com. It is really good. It takes time, but you will work it all out and figure out what works for you. Read through the message boards here ~ there are tons of links to brand names you can eat and not eat. I have a notebook full of lists at home!! The link above also has a coating mix for fried chicken ~ that is what I had last night. Yummy!!! Just make sure you buy a deep fryer that you use JUST for you! A little more to clean up when it means cleaning two of everything, but it is worth it!! The chicken was great!!

It takes a long time to shop at first--read EVERY label, however, it gets easier since you know what to avoid completely and I have now started shopping for most of my food at the health food section or store except for my meat but there are still a lot of mainstream products that are gluten-free, my diet is just a little more restricted than that...

Go shopping with company - my oldest son actually proof-reads all of my labels since he will notice stuff that I miss.

I have also heard this called the hunter/gatherer diet. Anything you can hunt or gather such as fruit and veggies is safe to eat. You will also be eating MUCH healthier.

reading ingredient labels is a pain, but the more you do it the easier it will get. dont buy anything that lists natural flavors, spices or starch unless it is a brand that has policies of listing all wheat sources. i buy a lot of kraft procucts becuz they do list all gluten under "wheat: there are a couple other brands that also do this (el paso, blue bunny, bryers)

I have been cooking a lot of home made food now, and it isn't as hard as it i thought it would be, and it is a lot healthier anyway!!

Bunniegirl: This is one of the biggest concerns: which are OK foods and are not OK. I agree with the notebook method as it keeps your research in one place. My method is I purchased the CSA manual and it's in a 3 ring binder. I get the product brochures from the manufacturers which list their gluten-free products and I punch holes in the pages and add it to my notebook. I keep their "800" numbers handy too. Another concern is when the manufacturer changes their receipe or formula. So check again about the gluten-free issue every now and then; especially if the label says "New and Improved" or they use a new colored label or any other clue that something new is going on.

As to breadmachine, great idea - don't make anything BUT gluten free bread in there. Sometimes debris from a prior baking hides under the paddle. I do remove the paddle and clean it and under it, but sometimes it's just hard to catch every little thing. I'd never want that left over crumb to be a gluten crumb and have it wind up in the gluten-free bread.

Eat the basic foods in the beginning as you'll know they are gluten-free, then add other gluten-free foods (after you check out their gluten-free status). Like what lilliexx says, label reading is important and there will be some foods that you'll never be able to have until the manufacturer changes their receipe (like self basting butterball turkeys).

Best wishes and keep gluten-free!

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Husband has Celiac Disease and Husband misdiagnosed for 27 yrs - The misdiagnosis was: IBS or colitisMis-diagnosed from 1977 to 2003 by various gastros including one of the largest, most prestigious medical groups in northern NJ which constantly advertises themselves asbeing the "best." This GI told him it was "all in his head." Serious Depressive state ensued Finally Diagnosed with celiac disease in 2003Other food sensitivities: almost all fruits, vegetables, spices, eggs, nuts, yeast, fried foods, roughage, soy.Needs to gain back at least 25 lbs. of the 40 lbs pounds he lost - lost a great amout of body fat and muscleDeveloped neuropathy in 2005Now has lymphadema 2006It is my opinion that his subsequent disorders could have been avoided had he been diagnosed sooner by any of the dozen or so doctors he saw between 1977 to 2003

Thank you guys for all your help, you have given me some good ideas and I have already started my 3-ring binder with all the lists printed off this site. I will be making my first gluten-free grocery trip this weekend and I've got a good list of snacks and lunches I can have, dinner will be harder at first, but oh well. This is a HUGE change for me since my favorite foods are any kind of fast food, anything fried, and lots of chinese food!!!! I've never even set foot inside a health food store, but this weekend will be a first for that too! Wish me luck!!

Good luck bunniegirrl! You'll become quite familiar with that health food store or the health food dept. in your regualr store! I have had to change my shopping places almost completely. I go to the health food store, about 20 to 25 minutes away, about once a month, or if I'm near that area. But, I've had to change my regular grocery store, as the one I liked, carries almost no gluten-free stuff! There is another one close, with a health food section, so just go there instead. And yes, you will get used to reading labels, and eventually know which items to get, not in the gluten-free section. I've only been at this for 4+ months, and I'm getting pretty good at it!